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Palestine 194 Campaign Distracts from Abbas' Despotism
(National Interest) David May and Zachary Fesen - The "Palestine 194" campaign is an attempt to achieve Palestinian statehood via UN approval rather than negotiating with Israel. Abbas first mentioned in 2010 his ambition to make Palestine the 194th UN member state. Yet only the UN Security Council can grant approval of full Palestinian membership, keeping Abbas' goal out of reach without American support. A 2021 poll indicated Abbas would lose to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in presidential elections by a 22-point margin. Rumored Abbas successor Hussein al-Sheikh is even less popular, with only 3% of Palestinians favoring him to succeed Abbas. Hamas has seized on Abbas' plummeting favorability to gain political influence in the West Bank, while calling for Palestinians to "revolt" against the PA. In response, the PA has repeatedly cracked down on West Bank Hamas supporters. Two decades of Abbas rule have left the Palestinians divided, lacking democratic protections, politically hopeless, and on the precipice of an ugly succession battle. Western governments should make clear to Abbas that Palestine 194 is a dead end. David May is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Zachary Fesen is an intern.